This disclosure relates generally graphical user interfaces. More particularly, it relates to a graphical user interface for finding and depicting individuals.
Computer users are increasingly interconnected by the Internet and social networking applications with other users that share their interests and attributes. Portable devices are useful for allowing users to remain in contact with other users outside their home or work environments. While travelling, some users would like to know when family, friends, co-workers or other people, e.g., people in one of their social networks, are near their current location.
Some applications or “apps” have been developed to fulfill this need. Typically, software applications display digital maps that are resident on smartphone and tablets computers, for example. In addition to displaying the map data, the user's current position and the individuals of interest are displayed. To date, however, the interfaces have portrayed the user and the individuals of interest as “dots on a map”. Unfortunately, this is a non-intuitive way to locate other users, particularly if the user is unfamiliar with the area in which the user is travelling.
Further improvements in graphical interfaces are needed.